


Over the Moon (and Other Such Space-Related Phrases)

by astrocops



Category: The LEGO Movie (2014)
Genre: B is a dad, Human Legos, M/M, a v hot black irish-american dad, teacher!Benny
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-01
Updated: 2014-09-01
Packaged: 2018-02-15 18:42:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2239317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astrocops/pseuds/astrocops
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daniel doesn't claim to be the est parent. He doesn't even claim to be a good role model. But Alwynn thinks the world of him, and that's good enough for him.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Benny's never been a teacher before--has the education for it, but decided to take to the skies. He doesn't know how bitterly some teachers hold grudges, but he won't let it hold him back from giving all of his students a fair chance. He's so glad he didn't let the opinions of others silly his opinions of his kids.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1 - Daniel

**Author's Note:**

> This needed to happen. I'm so sorry. I know nothing about police, but I know a lot about teachers, so here we are.

It's a day Daniel Copp dreads.

Parent-teacher conferences. Oh, it's not that Alwynn is a bad kid. It's not that he causes trouble or argues with his teacher or bullies children.

No, it's that he stands up for them that gets him in trouble.

Daniel's been called at work and has hurried to the office gods know how many times to talk to the parents of a child who'd hit Al once for standing up to them only to be pummeled into the next week. He's been pulled away from countless (failed) dates because he had to come and hear about the absolutely abhorrent language his son was using to defend someone else. He's taken Alwynn along with him to do patrols because he was suspended for fighting so, so many times.

He expects this parent teacher conference, nine weeks into the school year, to go like every other in the five years previous.

Obviously, he's never met Benjamin B. Chu before.

He's heard _tons_ about him--oh, has he. Alwynn is always bringing home stories about his retiree-astronaut teacher, about how awesome the way he teaches science is, how he can actually get him to understand his history work. (Impressive, considering it's the child's worst grade, usually.) How he once took them on a field trip and had just about wet himself because ' _oh his moon and stars, he was on the demonstration video! How embarrassing!_ ' How he doesn't tolerate the bullies he catches in the act, and how he volunteers to take other teachers' lunch and playground shifts, happy to eat and play alongside his kids.

After hearing the phrase 'retired astronaut', he hadn't expected him to be quite so young and fit, either.

All the same, Daniel's dread overtakes him, and he has to bite back a defeated sigh as he sinks into the (beanbag chair? Oh, gods, it is a) beanbag chair that he's gestured toward.

"Alright! I don't get why we have to do this, but if you'd please sign this to show you showed up, I'd really appreciate it," Mr. Chu grumbles as he hands over a clipboard, managing a smile at the end. Well used to the school's way of running things, Daniel obliges with a murmured consent, and he's startled by the way the blond teacher brightens as he sees the child's name he'd signed beside.

"You're Alwynn's dad! You know, now that I know, I can see it, hear it--but that's not what's important! This should be pretty short, actually. Al's a great kid! A little short-tempered sometimes--usually for good reasons--but great! He's doing well in pretty much everything, too. The way the other teachers warned me, I seriously thought he was going to be a nightmare, but he's one of the best in the class."

To say Danny Copp is floored would be an understatement. He sputters a moment, and manages, "No trouble from him? I know I haven't had any calls from the office, but--nothing violent? Vulgar?"

Somehow, this draws a laugh, and Mr. Chu shakes his head. "No way! Well, I mean--he managed to knick his finger pretty badly with a pair of scissors one time and let out a few choice words, but I'd curse too if I cut myself up. Nothing worth noting! He's not really sociable, per se, which is kind of notable? But he's nice to everyone and tends to stick around the kids that don't have a group of friends, so he's not _antisocial_ or anything." He pauses, and adds, "But no, nothing negative! I mean, the year's early and all that, but he's just a mellow, nice kid," almost as though he'd meant to say it and had forgotten.

Mellow? Nice? Sure, Alwynn's called such by the parents of his (increasingly few) friends, but to hear it from a teacher?

It's as though Christmas has come early.

Tension releases from Daniel's shoulders, and he manages a tired smile. "That's--that's wonderful. Thank you, Mr. Chu."

'Mr. Chu' snorts, honest to the gods snorts. "Not even the kids call me Mr. Chu--that's so _weird_. Ben or Benny or Benjamin works--or, if you want to get all polite and proper, you can tack 'Mr.' in front of any of those."

Daniel can almost hear the unsaid 'please, Mr. Chu was my _father_!' It's almost startling how laid-back this teacher is.

"Well, alright then." Pause. "Thank you for your time, Ben. I can honestly say this is the smoothest parent-teacher conference I've ever had." Standing, he offers his hand to shake--or to use to haul Mr. Chu-- _Ben_ \--to his feet, which is how he uses it. "You've got quite the queue piled up, so I'll let you get back to it."

"No problem! Tell Al hi for me, would you?" Oh, the tyke's going to be over the moon about that, he knows. Daniel nods, and chuckles as he returns the wave he gets before heading out the door.

-

"Your teacher says hello," is somehow how Daniel greets his son once they're both home, late into the evening thanks to an invitation to play from one of Alwynn's friends.

"He does? Cool!" Being in trouble so often hasn't dampened Al's enthusiasm any at all, and his green eyes are bright even as Daniel ruffles his dark hair.

"He also says you're doing incredibly, in matters of work ad behavior." Softer, as he squeezes Alwynn's shoulder, Daniel adds, "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Da. But he makes it easy! He doesn't let anyone get away with being mean to each other! It's awesome. _He's_ awesome."

The discovery that both student and teacher adore one another in equal parts isn't shocking--apparently, Ben can see the good in Alwynn where others haven't, and he's beginning to suspect it would be impossible to dislike the sunny educator.

"He most certainly seems to be, yes," Daniel agrees, and sets about rummaging around in the fridge. "In celebration, I'm going to let you pick whatever you want for dinner tonight."

"Whatever I want?"

"Whatever you want."

"Can we go get steak? Please? Please please please please--"

It's a good thing Daniel had seen this coming. Looking in the fridge had been a ruse and his keys are still in his pocket, and the whoop Alwynn lets out when he gets a nod has him laughing as he guides his son to the car.

-

It takes another month, but the office inevitably calls.

Remarkably, it's one of Daniel's days off--completely off--and he's settled on the sofa reading when he picks up the phone. They're vague as can be, and he's increasingly glad he'd kept from pouring himself any scotch as he grabs his keys and jacket, book discarded face-down on the end table beside his reading chair.

He desperately hopes Ben won't treat Alwynn any differently after one scuffle. The child adores him, and it would break his heart.

He doesn't expect to find that his son has forming bruises around both eyes when he gets there, doesn't expect to find blood on his face.

It isn't as though Alwynn's never been hurt in a fight before, but he's generally never worse off than a single black eye, or a bite mark on his arm, or a bruise on his jaw. Gingerly, Daniel cups his cheeks, inspecting the damage and sighing.

He supposes the Copps aren't supposed to have perfectly straight noses no matter the generation. Alwynn's is most definitely broken.

From the next room, Daniel can hear Ben's raised voice. He can't quite make out the words, but he sounds displeased, voice shrill and high, raising now and then. Another voice is booming right back, and another, and another.

The nurse steps in with a first-aid kit before he has a chance to ask about anything, and Daniel offers her a small smile. "If you'll leave that with me, ma'am, I'll patch my boy up."

She looks a bit startled, but does as he requests, flittering about for a moment until he reassures her he's long since had his first aid courses.

"Oh, darlin'," he sighs once he's wet a small bit of gauze, "What's happened to you now?"

"They were picking on Emmy," he replies, shoulders slumped, "So I told them to knock it off. I got her away from them, and they followed after." With a crooked grin--oh, thanks be to the gods, he isn't missing any teeth--he adds, "They didn't touch a hair on her head, Da. I made sure."

"That's my boy," Danny murmurs, and finishes swabbing at the mess under Alwynn's nose so he can kiss his forehead.

By the time Ben's coming out to talk to them, Daniel has his fingers on either side of Alwynn's nose. "This is going to hurt, but it'll make your nose heal less crookedly. Ready? One, two--" He snaps the cartilage back in place, and Alwynn howls his discomfort. Daniel shoves a handkerchief under his nose immediately, directing for him _not to tilt his head back like a bloody idiot, he's taught him better than that_ before he realizes they're being watched.

"Think he'll heal up okay?" Benny asks to try and clear the awkwardness, and Daniel nods. "Oh, he's had worse. He'll be fine--it just hurts for now. Al's a trooper."

Behind the handkerchief, there's a wide smile, and Alwynn nods. "I'll be alright, Mr. Benny. Thank you for asking."

The teacher manages a smile, but his face falls. "I'm sorry this even happened. I take one kid to the nurse because she hurt her knee, and in the five minutes I'm gone..."

"Five minutes," Daniel mumbles, "How many were there, Al? To do this much damage and gods know what else..."

"When I got back, it was a bit of a Mulan situation," Ben admits, "'I'll hold him, you punch'. There were three of them."

"Just the three," Alwynn promises, "And they learned the hard way that that was the only way they'd get any more hits in."

Daniel thinks to tell Al that he shouldn't say that in front of a teacher, but Benny huffs out a laugh, brightening just a little. "Still, I'm sorry. I should've sent the aid to the nurse with Kat. I'm sorry, Alwynn."

"It's okay, Mr. B! Kat's taken care of, they didn't hurt Emmy, and I heal pretty quick anyway. A little swelling never hurt anyone."

The look Ben gives him is adoring and borderline parental, and Daniel has the sneaking suspicion that Alwynn's become the 'teacher's pet' this year. "Well, I'm glad you're accepting my apology. You can have the rest of the day off if you'd like it, and those three are going to be suspended for two weeks. The parents tried to convince Mr. Business that you should be suspended too, but I put a stop to that, so you don't have to worry about it."

To his credit, Benny doesn't even flinch when Alwynn abandons the handkerchief and smushes his bloodied nose to his face with the force of his hug, instead making sure he's not hurting himself by doing so before hugging back.

"Thank you, Ben," Daniel says after Alwynn's been herded back over to the handkerchief, "Most of the time, this is the opposite of how these situations end up."

"Please," he insists in response, hands up, "Al was in the right and didn't strike out until he was hit, by all versions of the story. I just wish I'd thought a bit so I would've been there and this wouldn't be an issue."

Danny takes Alwynn for frozen yogurt when they leave, and well, if they bring a sugary-sweet mess of gummies and frozen yogurt to Mr. Chu on their way back by the school, that's because they 'accidentally' got a third portion.

(Daniel shares the story with some of his coworkers, all of whom are in the know about Alwynn's situations and how unfair they are. Within the week, they've all looked up and memorized his tags and decided to be a bit lenient where he's concerned. But only a little, they swear.)

-

Career Day rolls around. Daniel's set a million reminders on his phone for the morning, reminding him to bring pictures of his gun but leave the real one behind and to remember the rest of the gear so he can present everything well. It isn't as if this is the first time he's done this, but he always sets the reminders anyway--he always almost forgets something.

Either way, Alwynn's glad to be able to walk to class with him instead of waiting for a friend and walking in together, and the classroom is a mess of bean bags instead of chairs. Daniel snorts when Alwynn selects a blue one for himself and a red one for his dad--he's in full gear, after all, as if he really needed anyone to be reminded he was an officer.

The town's mayor's daughter--Emmy, as it happens--is in the class this year, but it's her mother she brings along. The activist starts out things by popular demand, talking about her causes and how she goes about preparing for rallies. The look she gives Daniel once she finds him is half-bewildered and half-wary, at least until she sees the twelve-year-old leaning against his side.

She relaxes a little after that, and the mini-lessons go on. There's no rhyme or reason after hers, honestly--Ben's drawing names out of a hat--and so they're about halfway through the day when Alwynn's name is called. Daniel stands up and gingerly weaves his way through the crowd, careful to keep from stepping on anyone. Benny looks a little bewildered from his seat in a large aquamarine beanbag until he begins with, "As many of you know, I'm Alwynn's father, Daniel Copp, as well as the chief of police." He passes around pictures of his gun and how it comes apart, the before-and-after shots of people who've been pepper sprayed, does an example of how to taze someone with a blank tazer, the works. He discusses safety measures of all kinds, tells then what to do in various dangerous situations, and hands out cards with the station's specific phone number on them.

He doesn't expect to get so darn many questions this time. He usually doesn't.

"Have you ever _had_ to taze anyone?" Yes. Never more than once at a time.  
"Have you ever been in a real car chase?" Oh, yes. Those are always a little scary, and entirely stressful. They're a huge risk, and we usually use blockades to minimize the escape routes so we can keep the citizens safe.  
"Did you ever kill a man?" Only once, and only because he was trying to kill his hostages as well as me. I never shoot on duty unless I absolutely have to.  
"Do you get to do what you want because you're the boss?" I could, but I don't. Laws are in place for a reason, and so are rules. I always put the safety of others before my own, and you should do the same if you're ever in my position.

Little Emmy Brickowski raises her hand, and asks, "Why did you become a police officer?" Oh, shoot. Daniel knew he'd forgotten something, and now he knows what. He usually ends with this story anyway.

"Well," he replies, "At first, it was because it was what everyone expected. My parents were police officers when I was your age, my last name is Copp--they're silly reasons, but they made sense to me. In the end, it was because I can't stand bullies, and that's exactly what criminals are--they endanger people for selfish reasons, hurt others for their own enjoyment. They steal and lie about it, and aren't all those things bullies do, too?" The little girl seems absolutely mesmerized, brown eyes wide as she gazes up at him.

"It's hard sometimes, but it's worth it. I can't speak for other police stations--I know too well about their injustice and bias firsthand--but please remember that here in Bricksburg, if you're pulled over or being chased or being fined, it's for a darn good reason. We're here to remind you that sometimes, anyone can act like a bully--and we're here to stop them before they _become_ one for good."

There's been applause, there's always applause whether it be enthusiastic or polite, but this is thunderous in comparison to what he gotten in years gone by.

Alwynn just about tackles him out of his seat when he sits back down.


	2. Chapter 1 - Benny

Benjamin Blu Chu is actually kind of happy he retired from the space program. He can pull a few strings and be up in the shuttle in a hot second--but only in the summer. For now, he's working himself to the bone, working until sweat is pouring down his face as he's singing along to the playlist he's slapped together for this very purpose.

He's cleaning his classroom.

It's a mess before he gets to it, filled with junk and once-inhabited aquariums. There's a little cubbyhole for a greenhouse, and he decides that maybe he can find some plants. Do sixth-graders like plants? Well, _he_ likes plants, so he's going to get plants.

Each room is supposed to have a theme--and his is space, from the corkboard outside with the names of his students on it (in little stars, and arranged into proper constellations) to the nametags made lovingly and placed on each desk. (He'd lost the conversation--argument--in which he tried to convince the principal to let him use beanbags instead of desks. It had sucked badly. He still has oodles of them in the room, had already bought enough for each of his students, twice over. Whoops.)

He has one headphone out, so he hears the chattering outside his room, and gets curious.

There are two or three teachers gathered around his board, fussing over the names. There's silence when he walks outside.

"Seeing who I've got this year?" he asks, smiling. "I poked around the yearbooks and found everyone--gosh, they're such cute kids! I bet they'll be sweethearts. I'm teaching they mayor's daughter! How wacky is that?" Benny laughs, but is met with silence.

"You'll have one to watch out for," one of them tells him almost grimly. "That Copp boy starts fights all the time. Why, I had to have him transferred out if my class!"

Benny's brows furrow. "Well, he won't get away with that here. No one's going to be starting fights in my classroom." He's saying it to appease them and feels _awful_ about it, but he's going to give this kid the benefit of the doubt.

What an odd name Alwynn is. Nice, but odd.

-

To Benny's surprise, the children are all startlingly polite. It takes them weeks to start calling him Mr. Benny instead of Mr. Chu--and considering how rigid the other teachers all are, that doesn't shock him at all. 

And oh, how he loves his students. The mayor's daughter, Emmy, is the both the sweetest and most outgoing child he's ever met. Kat is the girliest tomboy he's ever seen--flouncing around in the dirt and mud without getting a speck of it on her or her poofy, sparkly, rainbow princess dresses.

The other teachers were so wrong about Alwynn.

He's the first to grab Benny's attention when someone is picking on someone else, usually with the one being picked on in tow. He offers to do tasks like wipe off the board or go get more paper for the printer without complaint, no matter what kind of fun activity they're doing at the time. He's kind to his classmates, no matter how much or how little they speak to _him_.

Benny keeps wondering what kind of miscommunication errors made the other teachers wary about him. It just isn't fair.

-

"Alright! I don't get why we have to do this, but if you'd please sign this to show you showed up, I'd really appreciate it," Benjamin hums, and hands over the silly paper and clipboard. The parent before him scribbles down his name, and when he hands the things back over, a shriek of joy has to be bitten back. "You're Alwynn's dad!"

If Alwynn is beautiful (and Benny thinks all his kids are beautiful, truly), his dad is gorgeous. (Which is definitely not an opinion he has about all his kids' parents.) Even when he's obviously stressing out about their meeting, the unconscious lock of his jaw, the tension in his arms as he clenches his fists upon entering the room, the length of his legs (oh god lord, his height) is ridiculous and _stunning_.

But Benny would much rather see him relaxed, and so brightens when he speaks about Alwynn.

"You know, now that I know, I can see it, hear it--but that's not what's important! This should be pretty short, actually. Al's a great kid! A little short-tempered sometimes--usually for good reasons--but great! He's doing well in pretty much everything, too. The way the other teachers warned me, I seriously thought he was going to be a nightmare, but he's one of the best in the class."

That brings this Daniel Copp to sputtering, and Benny waits patiently for him to finish. "No trouble from him? I know I haven't had any calls from the office, but--nothing violent? Vulgar?"

That draws a snort, and Benny shakes his head. "No way! Well, I mean--he managed to knick his finger pretty badly with a pair of scissors one time and let out a few choice words, but I'd curse too if I cut myself up. Nothing worth noting! He's not really sociable, per se, which is kind of notable? But he's nice to everyone and tends to stick around the kids that don't have a group of friends, so he's not _antisocial_ or anything." He pauses, and adds, "But no, nothing negative! I mean, the year's early and all that, but he's just a mellow, nice kid," because he'd almost forgotten to tack on that reassurance.

Daniel's surprise is evident, and then tension melts away from his entire posture, and oh, what a nice smile he has. His teeth are straight and white and Benny wishes _he_ were fortunate enough to have a smile like that.

It's enough to have it directed at him, though.

"That's--that's wonderful. Thank you, Mr. Chu."

Benny laughs again. "Not even the kids call me Mr. Chu--that's so _weird_. Ben or Benny or Benjamin works--or, if you want to get all polite and proper, you can tack 'Mr.' in front of any of those."

Whether it not he realizes it, Mr. Copp's eyebrows raise.

"Well, alright then." Pause. Fidget. "Thank you for your time, Ben. I can honestly say this is the smoothest parent-teacher conference I've ever had." He stands and offers Benny his hand, and wow, once Ben's on his feet too, he can see that yes, okay, Daniel towers over him. He hasn't felt so giddy about a height difference since his first boyfriend. "You've got quite the queue piled up, so I'll let you get back to it."

"No problem! Tell Al hi for me, would you?" Benny's well aware it would be weird--would be improper--to try and distract Mr. Copp so he could hang around (admire) him a little longer, so he isn't even going to try. He waves goodbye as Daniel approaches the door, and gets a warm chuckle and a wave in response.

Wiping away the dopey grin he's sure he's wearing, Benny goes to the door and greets the next parent.

-

A month rolls around. Benny finds he's settling into Bricksburg alarmingly well considering he used to live in the country, and he finds himself carrying his new friend's daughter to the nurse. Little Kat had managed to get gravel stuck in her knee, and though she's a trooper, she's crying and clinging to him as he gently shushes her. He stays long enough for the nurse to remove all the gravel--a few minutes later than he should have, but he can't leave Caroline's ( _Kitty_ , she had insisted he call her, _We're Kitty and Kat._.) daughter alone and scared and hurting.

When he comes back to the playground, Alwynn is being held by two boys--one at each arm--and punched by another. The teacher's aid's nose is stuck in a book.

He shouts, actually raising his voice for the first time since he'd been teaching here, and pulls Alwynn from their grip. Blood is running down his face, and he's favoring one leg as Benny pulls him up against his side and shouts at the other three to go to the office.

The principal comes to meet he and Alwynn on the way to the nurse, directing them toward the office as well. Benny is fuming as he has to leave Alwynn in the waiting room with the others and go speak to the principal about what happened.

"You three stay over there," he tells them before the door closes, "And don't talk to him. Don't talk to each other. If I hear a peep out of you before your parents get here, you'll be in time out during rotation for a week." His voice is neutral, but his eyes are steely, and his gaze warms a bit as he asks the secretary if she'll get the nurse once the boys' parents are there. She says yes, and Benny steals the tissue box on her desk to hand to Alwynn before disappearing into the principal's office.

"Mr. Chu, I have to say I'm alarmed that this is the first scuffle in your classroom!" Mr. Business laughs, but Benny isn't in a jovial mood. He manages a weak smile, and says, "What are we going to do? It wasn't fair--I came out and they had Alwynn trapped between two of then, and the third was punching him." He doesn't even know the three's names--they're not in his class.

"Well, we'll have to talk to the kids who saw what was going on, but we'll have to suspend them all for fighting. A week should do the trick."

Benny twitches. "All of them?" he asks, "As in Alwynn too?"

"Well, of course! He was involved in the fight, wasn't he? I know from experience that he doesn't simply stand there and take a hit. He's been in here too often for that." Benny's expression must reflect his horror, because Mr. Business backtracks a bit. "Fights that _he_ initiated, not more instances like this one. He shouldn't be encouraged to fight!"

"They were using him as a punching bag," Benny manages to splutter, voice rising a bit, "That's not fair in any sense of the word!"

Mr. Business frowns a bit, but concedes, "We'll see about punishment once we have the whole story, alright? You go talk to the playground kids and I'll speak to these three boys until their parents are here."

Benny nods, and runs back to the playground--literally runs, finding the first outside door he can and going as fast as he can to speak to the children.

-

His head is throbbing as he comes out of the office for the last time, and there's a deep-set guilt in his bones. If he'd been there, Alwynn wouldn't be hurt now. He would've seen Emmy being picked on--would've seen the boys pulling her hair and pushing her around--and he would've been able to stop then before Alwynn felt the need to step in and be the hero.

And he is a hero. Benny looks over at his seat with a fond expression, only to find that he's staring at someone's back. "This is going to hurt, but it'll make your nose heal less crookedly. Ready? One, two--" There's a sharp _snap_ sound, and Alwynn makes an absolutely pitiful sound of pain. Daniel--because oh, it is Alwynn's dad--pulls out what seems to be a well-worn handkerchief and balls it up in Alwynn's fist, then pressing it against his face and murmuring, "Don't tilt your head back like a bloody idiot, I taught you better than that."

The look he gives Benny once he sees him is one of bewilderment, and Benny feels a bit like he's intruding.

"Think he'll heal up okay?"

"Oh," Daniel laughs, "he's had worse. He'll be fine--it just hurts for now. Al's a trooper." The affection in his tone warms Benny, and he's glad that at least Alwynn's dad doesn't seem to blame him for all this.

He's doubly glad that the boys wound up with two weeks, one for bullying and one for fighting, and that Alwynn wound up with nothing.

"I'll be alright, Mr. Benny. Thank you for asking," Alwynn chirps, and Benny smiles until the guilt hits him again.

"I'm sorry this even happened. I take one kid to the nurse because she hurt her knee, and in the five minutes I'm gone..."

To say Mr. Copp is bewildered would be an understatement. Shock is evident on his face. "Five minutes? How many were there, Al? To do this much damage and gods know what else..."

"When I got back, it was a bit of a Mulan situation," Ben admits, "'I'll hold him, you punch'. There were three of them."

"Just the three," Alwynn chimes, "And they learned the hard way that that was the only way they'd get any more hits in."

Benny can't help but be pleased to hear that, had seen the nasty bruises Alwynn had left when he was lashing out to try and keep then from pinning him. "Still, I'm sorry. I should've sent the aid to the nurse with Kat. I'm sorry, Alwynn."

"It's okay, Mr. B! Kat's taken care of, they didn't hurt Emmy, and I heal pretty quick anyway. A little swelling never hurt anyone."

Alwynn's just the sweetest little darling, he really is. He smiles up at Benny and Benny smiles right back, wondering how odd it would be to sweep him up into his arms for a hug. "Well, I'm glad you're accepting my apology. You can have the rest of the day off if you'd like it, and those three are going to be suspended for two weeks. The parents tried to convince Mr. Business that you should be suspended too, but I put a stop to that, so you don't have to worry about it."

Alwynn winds up beating Benny to the punch, and if his blood is getting all over Benny's shirt, Ben doesn't even notice. He looks down to make sure Alwynn isn't wincing--his nose is against him, is he alright?--before hugging him back tight.

It takes several moments for either of them to loosen their grip, and as Alwynn sits down with his hanky again, Daniel begins to speak. "Thank you, Ben. Most of the time, this is the opposite of how these situations end up."

"Please," Benny sighs, shaking his head. He's not the hero here. "Al was in the right and didn't strike out until he was hit, by all versions of the story. I just wish I'd thought a bit so I would've been there and this wouldn't be an issue."

Thirty minutes later, Alwynn brings by a little cup of frozen yogurt, blue raspberry absolutely drowned in gummy worms, cherries, and star-shaped sprinkles. Benny enjoys every bite, and breaks out a bag of candy for the class as a way of sharing. It's a good day, even if his best and brightest is missing.

-

There's a ridiculous amount of preparation involved in Career day, Benny finds. He is _finally_ allowed to use all his beanbags--which have, admittedly, been a sea of comfortable in his living room up until this point--instead of desks, and he ejects the desks with glee. They go in the spare classroom down the third grade hallway, and he sets about tossing the beanbags in haphazardly, not quite caring where they land. The kids will put them where they want them, anyway. He steals the large beanbag from the reading corner for himself--it's his favorite color, after all, so why not? It goes near the front of the room, so he can watch the presentations with comfort and ease.

He really doesn't know all that much about most of his kids' parents! He knows Mr. Brickowski is the mayor and that Kitty runs the ice cream shop, but that's it! He's kind of excited to learn more about the town, and about the families of his kids.

People shuffle in, and with all the hustle and bustle, Emmy's mom is the only parent he can really focus on. The kids seen to adore her, so she goes first, and he pulls the rest of the kids' names out of a hat so there won't be a need for more voting.

He is not prepared when he calls Alwynn's name and Daniel steps forward.

Maybe it's because he worked his way up through the Air Force to get into the space program. Maybe it's because he likes detail. Maybe it's because Daniel is just already mind-blowingly attractive and this just adds to it. Either way, the man looks damn good in his uniform.

"As many of you know, I'm Alwynn's father, Daniel Copp, as well as the chief of police." Benny's so busy admiring him, face flushed a bit, that everything goes by in a blur. He looks at the pictures, listens--he swears he does--but he keeps getting distracted by the angle of his jaw, the tone of his voice, his smile when it's there. It's a good thing Benny isn't making tests about these presentations--he wouldn't be able to write up anything about this one. Oh, no--he's got a crush on his favorite student's dad. Oh no. _Oh no._

"Any questions?" Daniel asks, and even Benny is astounded by how many hands go up.

"Have you ever _had_ to taze anyone?"   
"Yes. Never more than once at a time."  
"Have you ever been in a real car chase?"  
"Oh, yes. Those are always a little scary, and entirely stressful. They're a huge risk, and we usually use blockades to minimize the escape routes so we can keep the citizens safe."  
"Did you ever kill a man?"  
"Only once, and only because he was trying to kill his hostages as well as me. I never shoot on duty unless I absolutely have to."  
"Do you get to do what you want because you're the boss?"  
"I could, but I don't. Laws are in place for a reason, and so are rules. I always put the safety of others before my own, and you should do the same if you're ever in my position."

Benny thinks he may be falling in love, just a little. Every answer Daniel is giving is exactly the one he should be, but he elaborates in a way that shows he _means_ it.

Finally, Emmy inquires, "Why did you become a police officer?" Daniel pauses, but finally finds the right words.

"Well," he replies, "At first, it was because it was what everyone expected. My parents were police officers when I was your age, my last name is Copp--they're silly reasons, but they made sense to me. In the end, it was because I can't stand bullies, and that's exactly what criminals are--they endanger people for selfish reasons, hurt others for their own enjoyment. They steal and lie about it, and aren't all those things bullies do, too?" Oh, what an excellent answer. He smiles down at Emmy, and continues.

"It's hard sometimes, but it's worth it. I can't speak for other police stations--I know too well about their injustice and bias firsthand--but please remember that here in Bricksburg, if you're pulled over or being chased or being fined, it's for a darn good reason. We're here to remind you that sometimes, anyone can act like a bully--and we're here to stop them before they _become_ one for good."

The applause is so loud it almost hurts, trapped in their tiny little room, and Benny's smiling like the sun. This explains so many things about Alwynn--if only others would listen.

As he stands and pulls another name out of the hat, he catches sight of Alwynn hugging Daniel fiercely, and absolutely _beams_.


End file.
